Hỏa Lò Prison – The Hanoi Hilton

Ironically referred to as the “Hanoi Hilton” by its American guests, the Hỏa Lò Prison complex is located in the center of Vietnam’s capital. Today, the prison has been mostly demolished, though the guard house has been left intact and converted into a museum.

Although it earned notoriety under the North Vietnamese, Hỏa Lò Prison was actually a French creation, built during their colonial rule over Vietnam. The name means something akin to “the Fires”, which is a good symbolic fit for a pris...